It’s the end of October and the season’s over. A lot of riders decide to take a break of a few weeks during the off season to recuperate, and many find that this break plays a valuable part in preparation for the following year, but it all depends on the individual rider. The main drawback with taking a break however, is that you’ll have a tougher time ramping up your fitness in time for the new season’s first race.

It’s very hard to maintain race fitness throughout the year. Even if you don’t take a complete rest from the saddle, start planning for next season now with a new training programme, identify which races you want to be at peak fitness, and consult a coach to get the best out of yourself and taining regime.